1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a key system for providing high security by collating the user""s fingerprint with the registered data, and more particularly to a transmitter for transmitting the fingerprint data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a keyless entry system using fingerprint data has been well known, as described in JP-A-11-93478, for example. Such a conventional system will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the conventional keyless entry system, wherein reference numeral 1 denotes a keyless transmitter, and reference numeral 3 denotes a keyless receiver. This keyless transmitter 1 is usually carried by the user, and comprises a fingerprint sensor 5 for taking in the user""s fingerprint data, a sending component 17, and an antenna 19.
The keyless receiver 3 comprises an antenna 7 for receiving a signal from the keyless transmitter, and a receiving component 21, wherein the feature points of the fingerprint are extracted from the received data by a feature point data extracting component 23. On the other hand, the feature point data of the user""s fingerprint is extracted from the data which is transmitted from a central office 37 and received at an antenna 33 via a telephone set 31, and the user""s data is stored in a feature point data storing component 29. When in actual use, the keyless receiver 3 receives a signal from the keyless transmitter 1, and the feature point data extracted by the feature point data extracting component 23 and the feature point data of the user which is preregistered and stored in the feature point data storing component 29 are collated by a collating component 25, so that a matched signal is transmitted to a control device 9 if both data are matched.
The control device 9 receives the matched signal from the collating component 25, and transmits the release information for releasing the vehicle door to a door lock driving unit 41, so that the vehicle door can be released for the driver to get into the vehicle.
In such conventional system, each unit of antitheft control, door mirror, room mirror, sheet position, audio, and navigation, besides the door lock, can be automatically set to the user personal settings registered in accordance with the registered personal information.
The present applicant has proposed a key system which transmits various kinds of command signals including a door lock for locking the vehicle door, a door unlock for releasing the lock of the vehicle door, a trunk open for opening the trunk lid of the vehicle, an engine start for starting the engine, and an engine stop for stopping the engine, at the same time with the user""s fingerprint data, from a transmitter which is carried by the user, extracts the feature point data from the fingerprint data in a signal which is received by a receiver mounted on the vehicle, collates it with the preregistered data, and if both are matched, performs the operation in accordance with a command signal in the received signal. Such key system has the same basic configuration as the previously described system, except that an engine start/stop control unit 55 and a trunk lid open unit 57 are connected to the control device 9.
In the conventional key entry system as above described, when the user""s finger touches the fingerprint sensor 5, the fingerprint data is transmitted from the keyless transmitter 1 to the surrounding space, but because it is not distinguishable whether the thing which has made contact with the fingerprint sensor 5 is the user""s finger or not, the transmission also occurs when the thing other than the user""s finger comes into contact with it.
In order to prevent this, a sender switch maybe provided, aside from the fingerprint sensor 5, in which when in use, the user touches the fingerprint sensor 5, and at the same time or thereafter, operates the sender switch to transmit the fingerprint data to the surrounding space.
In the key system which was proposed by the present applicant, the user had to select a command signal for transmission, depending on which operation should be performed among various operations, in order to issue various kinds of command signals including the door lock, the door unlock, the trunk open, the engine start, and the engine stop, as above described, and therefore the functional switches corresponding to various functions were required.
As above described, in the conventional keyless entry system or key system, the sender switch 101 or a plurality of function switches, other than the fingerprint sensor, were required to provide on the side of the keyless transmitter, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, thereby resulting in a problem that the keyless transmitter is increased in size and is inconvenient for the user to carry it.
This invention has been achieved to solve the above problems, and it is an object of the invention to provide a keyless transmitter which allows the user to send the fingerprint data only when in actual use, or allows the user to select a necessary command signal for transmission, wherein the keyless transmitter is prevented from increasing in size and appropriate for the user to carry it.
A keyless system according to this invention comprises a fingerprint detecting portion for detecting the user""s fingerprint, a sending component for sending the fingerprint data from this fingerprint detecting portion, and a sender switch for triggering the transmission of fingerprint data from this sending component, wherein this sender switch and the fingerprint detecting portion are disposed integrally, and the sender switch is activated in accordance with the user operating the fingerprint detecting portion.
Also, the sender switch is activated by depressing this fingerprint detecting portion.
Also, the sender switch is activated by sliding the fingerprint detecting portion.
Also, an operation stick is provided, the fingerprint detecting portion being disposed on the top of this operation stick, wherein the sender switch is activated by tilting the operation stick in a predetermined direction.
A key system according to this invention comprises a fingerprint detecting portion for detecting the user""s fingerprint, a sending component for sending the fingerprint data from this fingerprint detecting portion and selectively sending a multiplicity of actuating command signals for determining the operation of a control device provided in a vehicle, and a sender switch for triggering the transmission of fingerprint data from this sending component, wherein this sender switch and the fingerprint detecting portion are integrally disposed, and the sender switch is activated in accordance with the user operating the fingerprint detecting portion.
Also, the sender switch is activated by depressing the fingerprint detecting portion.
Also, the kind of command signal transmitted from the sending component is changed in accordance with the number of depressing the fingerprint detecting portion.
Also, the kind of command signal transmitted from the sending component is changed in accordance with the depression time of the fingerprint detecting portion.
Also, the kind of command signal transmitted from the sending component is changed in accordance with the depression depth of the fingerprint detecting portion.
Also, the sender switch is activated by sliding the fingerprint detecting portion.
Also the kind of command signal transmitted from the sending component is changed in accordance with the amount of sliding the fingerprint detecting portion.
Also, the kind of command signal transmitted from the sending component is changed in accordance with the direction of sliding the fingerprint detecting portion.
Also, an operation stick is provided, the fingerprint detecting portion being disposed on the top of this operation stick, wherein the sender switch is activated by tilting the operation stick in a predetermined direction.
Also, the kind of command signal transmitted from the sending component is changed in accordance with the direction of tilting the operation stick.
Further, the kind of command signal transmitted from the sending component is changed in accordance with the angle of tilting the operation stick.
Further, the command signals include at least a lock command signal for locking the vehicle door and an engine stop command signal for stopping the vehicle engine, wherein the lock command signal and the engine stop command signal are transmitted by the same operation.